The Star Section: Sport Ad Value: RM 31,403 19-Jul-2021 Size : 624cm2 PR Value: RM 94,210 What drives Azizul What drives Azizul The harder it is to win gold, the harder he trains CYCLING Track Competition dates: Aug 2-8 Venue: Izu Velodrome Medals at stake: 12-12-12 THE TEAM Hell-bent: Men: Azizulhasni Awang, Mohd Azizul has ・力 never wavered Shah Firdaus Sahrom in his quest Team manager: Datuk Ashakari for gold. -Bernama Abu Noor EACTFILE By LIM TEIK HUAT the team sprint event, where they fin­ ished seventh at the 2008 Beijing Gaines. Name: Azizulhasni Awang PETA LING JAYA: From a humble begin­ In the sprint individual, the Asian Date of birth: Jan 5,1988 ning to being Malaysia's brightest pros­ champion Azizul lost to the eventu­ pect of winning a gold medal at the Tokyo al winner Chris Hoy of Britain in Place of birth: Dungun, Terengganu Olympics - this best describes cyclist the quarter-finals. Azizulhasni Awangs perseverance over It was in London four years Event: Men's sprint and keirin the last 14 years. later when he became only the It all started when the kampung boy second Malaysian cyclist after Highlights: 2016 Rio de Janeiro from Dungun had just stepped foot on Josiah Ng to qualify for the keirin Olympics (bronze, keirin); 2016 Australian soil to begin his professional final where he eventually finished cycling career back in 2007. sixth. London World Championships He went to visit a Sunday market in In his third Olympics campaign Melbourne and spent A$5 (RM16) to pur­ in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Azizul (bronze, keirin); 2017 Hong Kong chase a used book on the compilation of broke the stronghold of the World Championships (gold, keirin); the 2000 Sydney Olympics and it triggered Europeans to stand on the podi­ a desire in him to compete in the Olympics. um as a bronze medal winner. 2017 New Delhi Asian •This happened not very long after I It was nothing short of an was sent to Melbourne to train under the incredible achievement given Championships (gold, sprint), 2018 national elite set-up handled by John his small stature. Standing at Nilai Asian Championships (silver, Beasley” said Azizul. only 1.66m tall, Azizul hardly fits (There was no training on Sunday and the typical image of a sprinter and sprint); 2018 Jakarta Asian Games so I decided to go to this weekend market generally one head shorter than his TheStar graphics to check out the things there as well as rivals standing on the podium. (gold, silver in ind, team sprints); experience the atmosphere. But what Azizul lacked in physical size, "I saw somebody selling secondhand he had made it up with sheer persistence 2019 New Zealand World Cup (gold, books. Fm actually not a bookworm but I to excel and mental toughness. keirin); 2019 Jakarta Asian Championships (gold, sprint); 2020 love to see and read anything that catches “I realised mat l needed ta De pnysical- my eye. ly bigger and stronger to compete against Jincheon Asian Championships (gold, silver in sprint, keirin), 2020 Berlin “I saw a thick covered book on Sydney the European cyclists. I trained harder. Olympics. The stories and pictures capti­ "My personal target to win the World Championships (bronze in sprint and keirin). vated me. Olympics gold medal has never changed Previous Olympics outing: 3 “I read that many athletes had defied since the 2012 London Games. the odds to achieve their goals and as a “I knew it is very hard to achieve as you 2008 Beijing: Sprint quarter-finals, keirin second round, team sprint small kampung boy, it was something that need to get everything right but that is I could relate to. That's when my Olympics what drives me,“ said Azizul, who hopes seventh (with Josiah Ng and Rizal Tisin). dream intensified." to get a gold in his fourth Games. 2012 London: Sprint quarter-finals, keirin final (sixth). And it did not take Azizul too long to “I am grateful that we are going to the fulfil his dream as he qualified on merit Olympics despite what's happening 2016 Rio de Janeiro: Keirin final (bronze). along with Josiah Ng and Rizal Tisin for (Covid-19)," said Azizul..